There's something special about miniature versions of life-sized buildings. Dollhouses have the power to light up the imaginations of both children and adults alike. All you need to make this realistic dollhouse is a box and basic craft supplies. Decorate the dollhouse with pretty colours and then fill it with tiny furniture. Have fun creating your very own dollhouse!

Steps

Part 1

Creating the Main Structure

1

Stand a box up lengthways. Any regular box will work for this activity. Opt for a big box for a large dollhouse or use a small box if you want a smaller project. Stand the box up on one of the narrow ends. If it has a lid, keep it to use later.[1]

Shoeboxes work really well for this activity.

Opt for a wooden crate if you want to make a wooden dollhouse.

2

Create an A-frame roof for your dollhouse. Measure the depth of the box and then measure that length widthways on your lid and make a mark. Draw a line lengthways and cut down the line with scissors. Bend the trimmed lid in half widthways to create an A-frame roof. Then, attach 2 5 cm (2.0 in) pieces of sticky tape to the short edges of the roof and stick it to the top of your dollhouse.[2]

If you don’t have a lid, use a scrap piece of cardboard instead.

If you are making a wooden dollhouse and want a roof, make an A-frame style roof out of pieces of wood.

If you have made a wooden roof, secure it in place with super glue.

3

Decorate the outside of the dollhouse with tissue paper or paint it. This is a great chance for you to personalise your dollhouse and make it unique! Cut out pieces of tissue paper and stick them onto the dollhouse to cover the box. Alternatively, paint the box or cover it with stickers, sequins, or glitter.[3]

To make the dollhouse look really realistic, draw bricks on it or cover it with paper that has a brick pattern.

Part 2

Making Extra Rooms, a Door, and Windows

1

Add vertical pieces of cardboard or wood to create internal walls. Trim a piece of cardboard or wood to the height of the first story. Position it in place and then attach it in place with hot glue. Repeat this step on the second story to create extra rooms or leave it as an open loft.[4]

If you don’t have hot glue, use super glue.

Leave the glue to dry for about 1 hour.

2

Trim cardboard or wood to create a second story. Place your dollhouse on top of a piece of cardboard or wood, draw around the base to create a rectangle outline, and then cut out the rectangle. Place hot glue or super glue on the edges of the rectangle and slide it horizontally into the dollhouse and position it halfway up the box to create a second story.[5]

If you don’t want a second story, simply skip this step.

3

Draw the doors and windows onto the back of the dollhouse. Turn the dollhouse around so that the flat back of the box is facing you. Then, use a pen to draw a door and as many windows as you like. Consider placing at least 1 window in each room to make the house look realistic.[6]

Leave at least a 2 cm (0.79 in) gap between each window to keep the structural integrity of the dollhouse intact.

4

Use scissors or a jigsaw to cut out the windows. Poke the tip of the scissors or the blade into the middle of the window to make a hole. Then, use this hole to help you cut around the outline of your windows.[7]

Try to cut as close to the outline of the window as possible so that you can’t see the pen marks.

If you don’t have a jigsaw, consider hiring one from a hardware store.[8]

5

Cut out the door to create an entrance to the dollhouse. If you have made a cardboard dollhouse, cut the top and 1 side of the door so that you can bend it open. Use scissors to cut along the top edge of the door. Then, cut along 1 of the long edges of the door. Fold the door back along the other edge so that it opens and closes like a regular door.[9]

If you have a wooden dollhouse, cut out the entire door with a jigsaw.

If you find it easier, use a craft knife to make the cuts on the cardboard instead.

Community Q&A

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Question

I am making rooms on shelves of a cupboard I have. The top shelf is my dining and kichen area. The next shelf under that will be a bedroom and bathroom. I need to know how to make a wall between.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Add vertical pieces of cardboard to create internal walls. Trim a piece of cardboard to the height of the first story. Position it in place and then attach it in place with hot glue.

Use a small pillow. Get a piece of cloth (already decorated) and wrap it around to the bottom; flip it around and then glue the remaining pieces to the other side. For a pillow, you can use small pencil pouch, or a big eraser, and glue another piece of decorated cloth to it before gluing the remaining pieces to the back of that. Use another cloth for the blanket.

You could use old, unneeded clothes for rugs, blankets, etc. Paper towel rolls could be painted gray and used as trash cans. You could even use small stuffed animals as bigger stuffed animals for the dolls!

To make a doll house, start by cutting the base to size, and attaching the walls and ceiling to make a large square. If you want the dollhouse to be only accessible from the front, cut a piece of wood or sturdy cardboard to fit the back of the square and attach it to the back. Then, add a shelf with a doll-sized hole to the middle of the box to form the second floor of the house, with a ladder or stairs leading to the hole. For tips on how to decorate your dollhouse with wallpaper and lighting, scroll down!